Freesat and old sky satelite dish

ally18

Hi,
I still have an old satelite dish on the side of my house from when I used to have sky many years ago.
Am I right in thinking I could just buy a Freesat box and connect it to this dish to work? I would like to have a tv in my dining room and the lead from the dish would reach so perhaps I could sort it myself?
Or would it need some special setting up etc, new connections and things?
Thanks

redsquarelady

i brought a freesat box (cheap bush one from argos) plugged it in to the old sky dish and works perfectly. No additional wires or anything needed.
I did ask on here first cause you can't return the boxess unless faulty i think.
hth

spiro

Borrow a box from a mate and try it first.

Heinz

ally18 wrote: »

Hi,
I still have an old satelite dish on the side of my house from when I used to have sky many years ago.
Am I right in thinking I could just buy a Freesat box and connect it to this dish to work? I would like to have a tv in my dining room and the lead from the dish would reach so perhaps I could sort it myself?
Or would it need some special setting up etc, new connections and things?
Thanks

It depends when 'many years ago' actually was. If it was in Sky analogue days, the dish will be aligned on the Astra 1 cluster of satellites at 19.2ºE, will probably have an LNB which does not have the necessary high/low band voltage and tone switching capabilities and so will not be suitable unless the LNB is changed and the dish is realigned.

If it was in Sky digital days (from about 1998 onwards), the dish will be aligned on the Astra 2 cluster of satellites at 28.2ºE, will probably have an LNB which has the necessary high/low band voltage and tone switching capabilities and so will be suitable.

In either case though, the dish probably only has a single output LNB and, as most satellite receivers need 2 feeds these days, you'd need to get that changed at least.

ally18

Heinz wrote: »

It depends when 'many years ago' actually was. If it was in Sky analogue days, the dish will be aligned on the Astra 1 cluster of satellites at 19.2ºE, will probably have an LNB which does not have the necessary high/low band voltage and tone switching capabilities and so will not be suitable unless the LNB is changed and the dish is realigned.

If it was in Sky digital days (from about 1998 onwards), the dish will be aligned on the Astra 2 cluster of satellites at 28.2ºE, will probably have an LNB which has the necessary high/low band voltage and tone switching capabilities and so will be suitable.

In either case though, the dish probably only has a single output LNB and, as most satellite receivers need 2 feeds these days, you'd need to get that changed at least.

Oh dear, that idea is out the window then of doing it myself and cheaply!

Thanks for your replies.

timpavitt

"In either case though, the dish probably only has a single output LNB and, as most satellite receivers need 2 feeds these days, you'd need to get that changed at least."

Not true, satellite receivers only need 1 feed, PVRs need 2 to record 1 programme whilst watching another.

macman

Borrow or buy an old Sky box (free on freegle, next to nothing on eBay or car boot sale) and try it-if it works with that, it will work with a Freesat box.
Twin feed is only required for a PVR.

ally18

macman wrote: »

Borrow or buy an old Sky box (free on freegle, next to nothing on eBay or car boot sale) and try it-if it works with that, it will work with a Freesat box.
Twin feed is only required for a PVR.

Oh ok, thanks, I will see what I can get hold of.

Thank you.